Manchester aldermen made the right call on Tuesday night when they voted not to fast-track a big residential development on Wellington Hill. This issue needs more study and consideration.

At issue is whether to rezone a large chunk of land near Smyth Road and Radburn Street. A developer wants to build 85 houses on the land, which consists of plots owned by the city, the Diocese of Manchester and private owners. The developer, Keith Martel of Sterling Realty, also wants to buy an adjacent plot for 10 more homes.

At one point the city thought of using its share of the land for a new school. Now it might sell it for development. Some aldermen oppose that as long as the redevelopment includes homes. “Manchester doesn’t need any more population. It doesn’t need any more houses,” Alderman Ed Osborne said. Mayor Ted Gatsas wants to sell, citing the $650,000 the city would get.

The motion Tuesday night was to suspend the rules so the rezoning could be approved without having to go through the Committee on Bills on Second Reading. It failed by a 5-9 vote, thankfully. Alderman Dan O’Neil was right to oppose it by noting that the last time he voted to move so quickly on a rezoning, we got an approval for a huge Walmart on Gold Street, which neighbors don’t want and which will increase traffic on South Willow Street and Brown Avenue.

Sterling Realty wants to reduce the minimum lot sizes so they can build more homes on the Wellington Hill land. That needs to be considered more carefully, especially as it relates to school crowding. There may be merit to the type of development proposed (smaller lot sizes with more open space), but rushing this particular plan through would be a mistake. The incoming board needs to proceed with caution.